• The International Labour Orgazation (ILO) reported in 2024 that over 22% of African workers experience underemployment, hindering economic prospects.

• Underemployment encompasses individuals working fewer hours than desired or those in jobs with low productivity despite significant effort.

• This indicator provides crucial insights beyond official unemployment figures, revealing the quality of jobs and barriers to inclusive growth in Africa.

While employment provides relief for many young people, the International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialized United Nations agency, highlighted in 2024 that over 22% of African workers operate in conditions impeding their prospects and slowing economic momentum.

In a normal employment scenario, work typically involves a weekly duration near full-time, often around forty hours in many countries. The active individual then benefits from regular, stable, and sufficiently productive activity to generate income commensurate with their effort and skills. Imbalance emerges when this framework breaks down. Individuals work less than they could or perform tasks requiring extensive hours without generating income proportional to the investment. The duration or productivity of the activity then ceases to reflect their real capacities and potential.

According to the International Labour Office, this situation arises when an individual holds a job not allowing them to fully utilize their skills or availability. This definition includes individuals seeking to increase their work volume and those whose work generates insufficient income despite significant commitment.

The organization distinguishes two complementary realities. On one hand, some active workers perform fewer hours than desired and remain available for more extensive activity. This situation frequently occurs in urban informal services, seasonal agriculture, or precarious jobs often held by young people. On the other hand, many workers work full-time, sometimes beyond, but in activities generating too little value. Limited equipment, restricted output, or reduced access to training result in stagnant incomes despite high workloads. This reality is widespread in economies dominated by the informal sector and self-employment.

Why This Concept Is Crucial for Economic Analysis in Africa

For the ILO, understanding underemployment allows for going beyond typical discussions on official unemployment, which is often low but poorly representative of actual activity conditions. By observing these forms of insufficient employment, international institutions highlight the concrete quality of positions, the productivity level of economies, obstacles hindering youth integration, and the limitations of an informal sector absorbing the majority of the workforce without offering solid career paths.

By revealing how Africans work, the conditions under which they operate, and the value their activity generates, this indicator becomes essential for better grasping the challenges of inclusive growth. As long as a large portion of African workers remains confined to unstable or low-paying jobs, poverty reduction will continue to face obstacles.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum